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Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Nationals 3B Ryan Zimmerman Says Nobody Wants To Watch Cheaters

Major League Baseball and it’s performance enhancing drug problem has given the game a black eye and raised suspicions for every player that puts up good statistics year in and year out.

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig is seeking stronger penalties for performance-enhancing drug users, and some players are now voicing their support for the commissioners efforts.

Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman spoke out on the subject recently, and said that “nobody wants to watch cheaters play.”

“If you want harsher penalties, I’m all for that,” Zimmerman told USA TODAY Sports. “Nobody wants to watch cheaters. Those guys make those of us who don’t cheat and use things look worse.
“It’s not fair. It’s tough to play this game when you don’t have any sort of chemical help, and that’s the point of this game. That’s why the season’s so long, and not too many people make it to this level — it’s such a grind physically and mentally. It’s not good for the sport.”

Zimmerman pointed out that the current 25 and 50 game suspensions are not a big enough deterrent to players using PED’s.

“The risk,” Zimmerman says of the current 50-game suspension, “is not as great as the reward you get. You cheat, get caught, it’s 25, 50 games, whatever it is. You come back, you’re still getting a $40 million-$50 million contract. Of course, those guys are going to take that chance to get that payday. I think if you give harsher penalties, it’s going to deter people from taking that chance and they’ll have to think about it again.
“Some guys are willing to do whatever it takes to try and get that break in that small time frame they have. I’m against anything that involves using it. I don’t think it’s fair for other people who work hard and don’t have the luxury of feeling great every day. The other guys get sore, have to work out, and lift consistently.”